Wisconsin River

The Wisconsin River, also known as Wisconsin's working river, is a tributary of the Mississippi River. At approximately 430 miles long, it is the state's longest river. The Wisconsin River originates in the forests of the Lake District of northern Wisconsin, in Lac Vieux Desert, near the border of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It flows south across the glacial plain of central Wisconsin, passing Wausau, Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids. In southern Wisconsin it encounters the terminal moraine formed during the last ice age, where it forms the Dells of the Wisconsin River. North of Madison at Portage, the river turns to the west, flowing through Wisconsin's hilly Western Upland and joining the Mississippi approximately 3 miles south of Prarie du Chien. Although the river was originially navigable up to the city of Portage, 200 miles from its mouth, it is now considered non-navigable beyond the lock and dam at Prairie du Sac. We invite you to take in the beauty of the Wisconsin River while visiting Central Wisconsin. Our communities have walking trails along the river. There's plenty of fun awaiting boaters, skiers and fisherman.